ANDY HEDGECOCK, MARIA DUARTE and ANGUS REID review Synthetic Sincerity, Our Hero, Balthazar, Heartstopper Forever, and A Year In London
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Arts Ahead: June 21
What to watch out for in the coming weeks
Queens of the Coal Age
KEITH RICHMOND relishes a superbly conceived modern version of Aeschylus’ drama of murderous family succession
MICHAL BONCZA recommends a minimalist installation that prompts intriguing connotations
FIONA O’CONNOR questions the achievement of this year’s Orwell prize winner for political fiction
LEO BOIX reviews two powerful Latin American novels in which myth and crime fiction expose the deadly consequences of patriarchy, clandestine abortion and state violence
New releases from Laura Veirs, The Waterboys, and Yard Act
Ron's rages are sincere and — according to his wife — healthily cathartic. But can these splenetic outbursts loosen the grip of capitalism at its most monstrous?
MANCHESTER THEATRE
Queens of the Coal Age
Royal Exchange
June 28-July 28
Maxine Peake's new play sees Anne, Elaine, Dot and Lesley, four ordinary women, facing the closure of their community. It’s 1993 and the Parkside Colliery pit may be winding down, but they’re not giving up. Bras stuffed with contraband, they take a tour of the pit and refuse to come up.
Settling into the depths of the mine, making tissue roses and walking imaginary dogs, they face bribery and threats. But, as they dig in, those up top start to realise these ladies are not for turning.
Queens of the Coal Age is the heartwarming and funny true story of four women, stalwarts of Women Against Pit Closures, taking a stand in the face of a changing world. Must-see.
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